Inwardly folding rollator with an upwardly pivotable seat

ABSTRACT

Abstract of Disclosure 
     The invention relates to a rollator which tubular frame assembly comprising a pair of U-shaped side frames connected by a front brace.  The side frames also have a cross bar that extends between the front legs and the back legs of the frame.  The side frames are pivotably attached to the front brace so that the side frames can fold inward.  Further, the rollator has a molded rigid seat that is mounted on pivot brackets to allow it to pivot upward out of the way of the user.  The pivot brackets have an offset axis of rotation so that the seat nestles in a curved area of the front brace.

Background of Invention

[0001] Certain health conditions hinder vertical balance, and movementin the upright position or other mechanics of walking. The health careindustry has developed aids for those who suffer from such conditions,including crutches, walkers, rollators, and wheelchairs. Rollators arewheeled supports which aid individuals who have function in their lowerlimbs, but lack the muscular control, strength or balance to enable themto walk unassisted. It is advantageous for such supports to include twopairs of wheels in order to avoid the need to lift the device, and tofacilitate its use as an ambulatory aid. Further, these devices mayinclude a seat so that a user may use the device to sit and rest.

[0002] Traditional walkers or rollators have a frame that forms aU-shaped enclosure about the user. The enclosure is open to the back andthe user walks toward the closed front portion of the frame while usingthe lateral side armrests for support. Walkers typically do not includea seat, although rollators may include a seat. If a rollator includes aseat, the user turns to face the open side and sits facing the oppositedirection from the orientation when the support is in active ambulatoryuse.

Summary of Invention

[0003] The rollator of the present invention has a frame comprised ofopposing side frames linked by a front brace. The side frames eachinclude a tubular front and back leg members, each carried on a wheel,and joined at the top by an integral horizontal lateral support. Eachlateral support generally includes an armrest and brake means. For eachside frame, a cross bar extends between the front and back legs tosupport the construct, and to provide a mounting bar for the seat whichis pivotably mounted to the front legs on a pair of mounting bracketswhich offset the axis of rotation toward the front legs. Thisarrangement allows the seat to be flipped upward to open the space inthe walker and such that the seat is out of the way of the user. Therear of the seat has integrally molded bracket members that are curvedto minimize interference with the user and with the inwardly foldingbrake handles.

[0004] The frame also includes a front brace that has a bushing memberon either side to rotatably hold the front legs of each of the sideframe members. The legs include spring loaded locking members thatcooperative with a locking recess in an annular catch plate to securethe side frames in the open position. The locking members can bereleased by pressing a lock handle and unlock the detent from the catchplate and to allow the side frames to be folded inward when the seat isin the upright position. The length of the front and back legs can beadjusted through a connection to telescoping length adjusting sleeveswhich are sure by snap buttons. This feature allows a simultaneousadjustment of the height of the seat, and of the armrests. The seat ispreferably a contoured rigid, molded seat that includes a means toattach it to a pivot bracket on each side of the front legs. The rear ofthe seat includes on each side a curved integral molded support bracketwith a catching groove that hugs the cross bar to support the rear ofthe seat. The references to the location of the components, such asfront and back, are in reference to the device when the user is facingthe front brace in an upright walking position.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0005]Figure 1 is a front elevation of the rollator in an open positionin accordance with the present invention; and

[0006]Figure 2 is a front elevation of the rollator shown in Figure 1with the seat in the upright position; and

[0007]Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the rollator shown in Figure 1with the seat in the upright position; and

[0008]Figure 4 is a front elevation of the rollator shown in Figure 1with the rollator folded inwardly.

Detailed Description

[0009] The wheeled ambulatory support, or rollator, of the presentinvention has a foldable frame 10 having a pair of generally U-shapedvertical side frames 12, 13 which are typically of a hollow tubularsteel construction. The side frames 12, 13 each include a front leg 14,15 and a back leg 16, 17. These front and back legs are each supportedat the bottom by a wheel and at the top have an integral transversehorizontal support member 18, 19. These supports are positioned to carryarmrests 20 upon which the user leans during ambulation. The supports18, 19 also include a brake handle 21 which is used to activate abraking mechanism, typically connected by a cable to a brake shoe 24which acts on the rear wheels 22. The rollator may also include anadditional parking brake (not shown).

[0010] The front legs 14, 15 are each supported by offset castor forks26 having a sleeve 30 that receives the bottom of the front leg andfurther having a front wheel 32. The back legs simply have an axle 34 ofa wheel 35 that engages a bore in the rear leg to support the rear leg.A telescoping sleeve member 40 having spaced openings 41 receives a topportion 49 of the rear leg in a sliding cooperation and a spring biasedpop detent or snap button snaps into place in the openings 41 to adjustthe height of the rear leg. There is a corresponding mechanism for thefront leg.

[0011] The side frames 12, 13 also each include a cross bar 42, 43 whichhave a bracket at either end 44, 45 and 46, 47 to secure the cross bargenerally perpendicular to the front legs and the rear legsrespectively. The cross bars form a support for the rearward-facingportion of the seat member 50. The seat member is a rigid molded plasticseat which may be contoured with a rear depression and forward pommel(i.e. relative to the seat) for comfort and that has integral downwardcurving rear brackets 52 that include u-shaped recesses that form africtional fit on the cross bar. The recesses are popped off of thecross bars to allow the seat to be folded upward about the front pivotbrackets 56 that are mounted on either side of the front legs. The pivotbrackets extend forward of the front legs so as to offset the axis ofrotation forward of the front legs, e.g., by the depth of the seat. Thisputs the seat out of the way of the user when it is in the uprightposition. Additional support is provided by support flanges 57 thatextend inwardly from the side frames and engages and support the bottomof the seat. The brackets 52 are curved to avoid interference with thebrake handles 21 during folding.

[0012] The frame also includes a front brace 60 which comprises a curvedtubular member having transverse bushings on either side 62, 63. Thecurve allows the seat to nest in front of the front brace 60 when theseat is upright. The front legs 14, 15 extend through and can rotate inthe bushings to permit the side frames to be collapsed inward. Each sideframe also includes a locking mechanism 70 that comprises an annularcatch plate 72 having a lock hole that is engaged by a spring biaseddétente. A handle 75 is used to disengage the lock means 74. A flexibleback support 80 which can be made from a suitable fabric strip which isriveted to itself also extends between the side frames.

[0013] While in accordance with the patent statutes the best mode andpreferred embodiment have been set forth, the scope of the invention isnot limited thereto, but rather by the scope of the attached claims.

Claims
 1. An ambulatory support having a frame which is open to adirection which is the rear for ambulatory use and which includes twoside frames, each of said side frames having a front leg member whichsupports a pivot bracket that includes an axis of rotation that isforward of a longitudinal axis of the front leg member and a rigid seatmember mounted on each of said pivot brackets for rotation about saidaxis of rotation.
 2. An ambulatory support as set forth in claim 1wherein said side frame further includes a rear leg member and atransverse support that joins the front leg and the rear leg.
 3. Anambulatory support as set forth in claim 2, wherein said frame furtherincludes a front brace the extends between the two side frames.
 4. Anambulatory support as set forth in claim 3, wherein the front brace iscurved forward of a plane defined by the longitudinal axis of said frontleg members.
 5. An ambulatory support as set forth in claim 4, whereinsaid side frames each further include a cross bar that extends betweenthe front leg and the rear leg, and the seat has opposed lateral sidesthat each have a bracket that is supported on the respective cross bar.6. An ambulatory support as set forth in claim 5, wherein the seat ismolded and the brackets are integral with the seat.
 7. An ambulatorysupport as set forth in claim 6, wherein the brackets are curved.
 8. Anambulatory support as set forth in claim 3, wherein the front braceincludes two distil ends that each have a bushing that receives one ofthe front legs for folding inward.
 9. A rollator having a frame which isopen to a direction which is the rear for ambulatory use and whichincludes two side frames, each of said side frames having a tubularfront leg member connected by a horizontal support to a tubular rear legmember, said front and rear legs being linked by a cross bar and theside frames being linked by a front brace that has opposed distil endseach having a pivotable connection to a front leg of one of the sideframes, and the frame having a pair of spaced pivot brackets that definean axis of rotation that is forward of both of the longitudinal axes ofthe front leg members and a rigid seat member mounted on each of saidpivot brackets for rotation about said axis of rotation.
 10. A rollatorhaving a frame as set forth in claim 9, wherein the front brace iscurved forward of a plane defined by the longitudinal axis of said frontleg members.
 11. A rollator having a frame as set forth in claim 10,wherein said side frames each further include a cross bar that extendsbetween the front leg and the rear leg, and the seat has opposed lateralsides that each have a bracket that is supported on the respective crossbar.
 12. A rollator having a frame as set forth in claim 11, wherein thebrackets are curved.
 13. A rollator having a tubular frame which is opento a direction which is rear for ambulatory use and which includes twoside frames, each of said side frames having a front leg memberconnected by a horizontal support to a rear leg member, said front andrear legs being linked by a cross bar and the side frames being linkedby a curved front brace that has opposed distil ends each having apivotable connection to a front leg of one of the side frames, and amolded rigid seat member mounted on said frame for rotation about anaxis of rotation and said seat having a pair of integrally moldedsupport brackets, each of which engage a cross bar of one of the sideframes.
 14. A rollator having a tubular frame as set forth in claim 13,wherein the side frames further include a pivot bracket that supportsthe front of the seat.
 15. An ambulatory support comprising: (a) twoside frames, each of said side frames including: (i) a front and backleg; (ii) a substantially u-shaped horizontal support member connectingsaid legs; and (iii) a cross-bar on each of said side frames connectinga mid-section of said legs; wherein each of said legs includes a lengthadjustment means; (b) a brace connecting said side frames; (c) a wheelconnected to each of said legs; (d) a seat pivotably mounted to thefront legs, wherein said seat can be pivoted into at least twopositions: a first position, wherein said seat is positioned such as toallow a person to sit on the seat, said seat including a set of seatsupports that rest on said cross-bars when said seat is in said firstposition; and a second position, wherein said seat is pivoted to asubstantially vertical position, such pivoting moving the seat at leastpartially in front of said front legs; and (e) a locking mechanismlocated on each of said side frames, said locking mechanism maintainingsaid side frames spaced apart and releasable to allow said side framesto pivot inwardly toward the seat when said seat is in said secondposition.
 16. The ambulatory support of claim 15 further comprising: (a)a set of brakes positioned to engage the wheels on the back legs when abrake force is applied; and (b) at least one hand brake actuatorpositioned on at least one of said horizontal supports, wherein saidhand brake actuator is used to effectuate the brake force.
 17. Theambulatory support of claim 15 further comprising a backrest connectingsaid side frames.
 18. The ambulatory support of claim 15 furthercomprising at least one padded region located on at least one of saidhorizontal supports.
 19. The ambulatory support of claim 15, whereinsaid brace is curved outward away from said front legs.
 20. Theambulatory support of claim 15, wherein at least one of said side framescan pivot approximately 180 degrees when said locking mechanism isreleased.
 21. The ambulatory support of claim 15, wherein the wheelsconnect to said front legs are pivotably connected.
 22. The ambulatorysupport of claim 15, wherein said seat comprises: (a) a seat regionhaving a top portion and a bottom portion, and wherein said bottomportion comprises a front portion and a rear portion; (b) one or moreseat supports, wherein said one or more seat supports extend outwardlyand away from the rear portion of the bottom portion of the seat, andwherein one or more seat supports extend outwardly and away from thefront potion of the bottom portion of the seat.
 23. The ambulatorysupport of claim 22, further comprising a connection mechanismpositioned toward one side of the seat, wherein said connectionmechanism allows the seat to pivot in to said at least two seatpositions. wherein said connection mechanism is hingedly connected tosaid front legs.
 24. The ambulatory support of claim 22, wherein saidseat supports include a bracket for securing said seat support to saidcross-bar when said seat is in said first position.
 25. The ambulatorysupport of claim 22, wherein said seat supports curve downwardly andaway from the front and rear portions of the bottom portion of the seat.26. An ambulatory support comprising: two side frames comprising twofront legs and two back legs; a brace connecting said side frames; awheel connected to each of said legs; and a seat pivotably mounted tothe front legs, wherein said seat can be pivoted onto at least twopositions: a first position, wherein said seat is positioned such as toallow a person to sit on the seat, and a second position, wherein saidseat is pivoted to a substantially vertical position.
 27. A seat for anambulatory support comprising: (a) a seat region having a top portionand a bottom portion, and wherein said bottom portion comprises a frontportion and a rear portion; (b) one or more seat supports, wherein saidone or more seat supports extend outwardly and away from the rearportion of the bottom portion of the seat, and wherein one or more seatsupports extend outwardly and away from the front potion of the bottomportion of the seat.
 28. The seat of claim 27, further comprising aconnection mechanism positioned toward one side of the seat, whereinsaid connection mechanism allows the seat to pivot in to said at leasttwo seat positions. wherein said connection mechanism is hingedlyconnected to said front legs.
 29. The seat of claim 27, wherein saidseat supports include a bracket for securing said seat support to saidcross-bar when said seat is in said first position.
 30. The seat ofclaim 27, wherein said seat supports curve downward away from the bottomportion of the seat as said seat supports extend away from said seat.